Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	fire_n	set_v	tongue_n	3,652	5	9.4006	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58208	A guide to the Holy City, or, Directions and helps to an holy life containing rules of religious advice, with prayers in sundry cases, and estates ... / by Iohn Reading ...	Reading, John, 1588-1667.	1651 (1651)	Wing R447; ESTC R14087	418,045	550

first Adam that native inclination to sinne which continually carrieth us away captive to the lawes thereof to that evil which wee would not do which wee loath abhorre and in bitternesse of soule repent us of Lord create cleane hearts in us renew right spirits enlighten our understandings with a sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternal life and salvation sanctifie our wills and affections and according to thine owne gracious promise put thy Law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts that wee may know thee from the least to the greatest forgive our iniquity and remember our sinne no more O Lord who didst by thy Word so heale the fountaines so that death and barrennesse was no more therein heale wee humbly intreat thee the wretched corruptions of our hearts cleanse and sanctifie all the thoughts thereof by the sweet and blessed influence of thy holy Spirit so guiding governing and directing us in the way which thou wouldst have us walke in as that wee may in all our thoughts words and actions be acceptable to thee mortifie and subdue all our evil desires and thoughts subject them all to thy holy will and pleasure that wee may constantly resist all temptations to sinne and wickednesse Keepe us and counsel us in all our affaires spiritual and temporal that wee may be filled with the holy fruits of the spirit of sanctification appearing in new and hollowed thoughts of words and actions to thy glory and our further assurance before thee so that in our bodies and in our spirits wee may be kept blamelesse in this sinful and miserable world unto the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ To him with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Spirit the Comforter of the Elect be ●rendred all hon●r and glory in heaven and in earth from this time forth and to all eternity Amen CHAP. XXI Concerning the guidance of the Tongue § 1. Of the excellent use al use and evils of the Tongue concluding the necessity of a right guidance thereof § 2. Motives thereto § 3. Rules by which it may be done 1. THe use of the Tongue and speaking is a singular gift of God to man whom he furnished herewith that hee might communicate that inward and secret light of reason which hee created in the soule and the divine motions which by his holy Spirit hee infuseth into the same speech as reason is peculiar to man of all earthly creatures It is the soules image and interpreter neither could one soule shut up within the houses of clay other waies convey its notions into another soule or enterchange thoughts with another hereby we declare the counsell of God for our salvation in Christ hereby wee blesse God comfort and edifie one another hereby wee instruct direct aske and give counsel it were too long to reckon all 2. As Satan hath been malicious to poison the fountain of words and actions the heart so hath hee to corrupt the speech perverting that to God's dishonor overthrow of religion and sanctity and embittering of humane society by that which God ordained for the advancement of that and comfort of this God appointed the tongue for a main agent for his Kingdome but the enemy usurpeth it for the building up of his nor is there any ●acultie of man spiritual or corporeal by which hee more effecteth it there is no sinne which he promoteth not hereby the evil tongue is lusts bawd heresies disperser 〈◊〉 factor impostures agent sinnes soliciter generall ready to advance any mischiefe Art thou angry thy tongue runneth to usher in murder calumnie slander pro●anations what mischiefe can wee think of turp●●oquie per●ury blasphemy lying any sinne wherein the tongue is not a ready advocate and procurer 3. The holy Ghost intimat●th the variable mischiefes of the tongue under the severall characters wherewith hee brandeth the flattering tongue the deceitfull the double the censuring vexing bitter backbiting railing slandering lying perverse raging scandalous busie obscene and profane tongues these are the divels organs lusts bellows adulteries brokers the troublesome mischiefe of humane societies going through the world medling with and censuring every man this is the Epidemick evill so bitter as that none can well avoid it nor patiently endure it It is a fire a world of iniquity it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the whole course of nature being it selfe set on fi●e of hell it is a little but unruly untamed member full of deadly poison 4. These being the diseases of the sinne-infected tongue followed with many severe judgements the necessity of a better and more holy guidance thereof appeareth which being neglected is the cause of all that evill which these worst times complain of What mischiefe is done which is not begun and fomented by the evill tongue as it is written his heart gathereth iniquity to it selfe when hee goeth abroad hee telleth it So one encourageth another or tempteth to a mischievous consent in that which is dishonour to God disadvantage to humane society and destruction to themselves That therefore every one may addresse himself to some meanes of a through reformation herein it is behovefull that we seriously weigh these ensuing motives to a matter of r●high conc●●●ment 1. Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soule from troubles The inconsiderate man is snared and taken with the words of his own mouth Hee that loveth life and would see good daies let him refraine his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Many saith the wise man have fallen by the edge of the sword but not so many as have fallen by the tongue How happy had it been for many a man to have been dumb some thinke it a glorious liberty to speak what they list to exercise their dogged eloquence barking at all that passeth by them snapping at every thing but so shall they make their owne tongues to fall upon themselves therefore the wise man saith Who shall set a watch before my mouth and a seale of wisedome upon my lips that I fall not suddenly by them and that my tongue destroy me not for the lips of a foole will swallow up himselfe death and life are in the power of the tongue For saith our Saviour by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 2. If a man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body but if any among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vaine 3. Men shall give an account at the day of judgment of every idle word how much more of malicious and impious words there 's not a word in thy tongue but God heareth it Therefore for the better guidance of thy tongue observe these and

the like rules 1. Strive to have an holy and sanctified heart out of the abundance thereof the mouth speaketh if that fountain be healed death and barrennesse shall be no more in the sources of our tongues if there be trueth peace charity wisedom temperance modesty patience chastity and sanctity there such will thy discourses be if the word of God dwell plentifully there and the holy spirit have his temple there accordingly shall thy discourses be The reason why we hear so many evill words is because what ever men professe to the contrary their hearts are unhallowed atheisticall and corrupt 2. Use thy selfe to holy speeches and let thy words be of the uprightnesse of thy heart The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord but the words of the pure are pleasant words There are vaine and evill thoughts in the best men eftsoon ari●ing from the noisome remainder of the old Adam in us or suggested by the malicoius tempter even such as wee loath and startle at but good and wise men smother and suppresse them within setting a strong guard upon them as Jehu did on Baals Priests lest any of them should escape out alive to corrupt others according to the precept Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying seasoned with wisedom and sanctity My tongue shall speak of righteousnesse and of thy praise all the day long said holy David and the mouth of the righteous speak●th wisedom the law of God is in his heart 3. Weigh thy words in thy heart before thou speak let not thy tongue out-runne thy minde that thou maist not speak any thing of which thou must repent thee Let the balance of thy minde weigh out and give thy tongue his task A fooles aime is only to speak something not caring what as taking silence to be a mark of some impotency of minde but he that considereth only what hee hath spoken not what he ought to speak is like him that first shooteth and then taketh aime The word is in thy power before thou utter it but once spoken irrevocable therefore take heed before thou speak 1. to whom 2. of whom 3. what thou speakest Thou must take heed and set a watch before the doors of thy lips foolish men are weak in understanding and precipitate in speech but the hearer must first be considered Speak not in the eares of a foole said Solomon no nor in the eares of a knave for as the one will dispise so the other will pervert thy words Davids rule is necessary I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me they lay wait to entrap thee in thy words it is therefore an argument of high indiscretion and folly to open thy minde to any stranger because thou knowest not to whom thou speakest a When thou speakest of others consider their persons and qualities speak ill of no man of whom thou canst justly speak well God hath said Curse not the King and thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people The God of order hath set a distance between man and man it is not only unmannerly but impious to speak of Kings Governers Parents Ministers Masters or Superiors as thou wouldst of thy equal or inferior and when thou speakest of others 't is wisdome to be carefull whom thou commendest least his faults reflect on thee and whom thou censurest least thou become an accession to injurious slanderers and wound thy repute with thine owne censure of men better then thy selfe Justice is to give every man his due there may be something good in the worst man as something evil in the best some vertue shining in a vitious life which wee may value as the jewell in the serpents head It is wisdome to distinguish in thy praises as Salust judged of Aurelia Oristella of whom saith hee no good man ever praised any thing but her beauty And to speak much evil of any without eviction of the least crime demonstrateth thee a railer not him guilty whom thou accusest 3. To weigh thy words well thou must lastly consider what thou saiest speak not crudities but let thy minde well digest what thou wouldst say speak premeditated things and thereof onely a discreet choice 't is no small part of wisedom not to speak foolishly study to speak aptly not so much to affected curiosity as prudently not as if thou wert to dictate to the presse and put all thy words in print but as resolved to be wise and honest and so to expresse thy selfe A fooles heart is in his tongue but a wise mans tongue in his heart Weigh thy words in a ballance and make a doore and a baire for thy mouth It is not in vaine that nature God's ordinary power hath so fenced the tongue and guarded it with a double set of teeth a strong fortification if we can understand and make use of the morall 4. Be not hasty to speak Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words there is more hope of a foole then of him Let a man be swi●t to hear and slow to speak deliberation giveth maturity to that thou wouldest speak and 't is much advantage which a little time to bethink a mans self affordeth him because the second thoughts are commonly wiser the errors of the former appearing by a more prudent examination therefore the Philosopher resolved that to be hasty in speech was indicium insaniae 5. Either be silent or be sure to bring forth something better then silence specially in passion that reason may recover it seat again out of which the agitations of vehement affections doe commonly pr●cipitate it as Caesar said to Athenodorus there are safe rewards of faithfull silence In a prudent silence thou concealest thine own infirmities and better discoverest other mens There are some strange volubilities of tongues whose fountains run mirth and fancy rather pretty then prudent such elegancies are like those red and blew flowers among the wheat rather pleasant then profitable it is no little skill nor small commendation to know when to be silent Archidamas rule was good hee who can speak well knoweth also when to speak and wherein certainly it must be a great advantage to the wise which maketh the foole seem wise and the wise man deep Therefore whereas other schools of literature taught their pupils to speak Pythagoras enjoyned his scholars silence for a certaine time after their admission that they might learne what to speak within themselves before they made others witnesses of their thoughts hee that knoweth not how to be silent which few fooles doe knoweth not how to speak It seemeth the prudent Zeno took it to be no small honor to know when to be silent who sitting silent at supper with a Kings Ambassadours they asking him but what